How To Use Colour Powder In Sports Activities
With the end of the school year and the six weeks holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get into the sporting mood with some activities of your own. But not just any old sporting activities, we’re talking about colour powder sports!
That’s right, we’re going to let you in on how to incorporate colour powder into your sporting activities to make them more fun, colourful and exciting.
Colour Run
As runners set off from the starting line colour fountains are typically used to kickstart the event and get participants covered in their first cloud of colour powder. Then as they proceed around the course, they’re showered in bursts of colours from attendees who are well stocked with individual bags of colour throwing powder. The aim is to end up covered in as many colours as possible!
To make these colours stand out, participants are encouraged to wear white clothing that they don’t mind getting messy, such as a plain white t-shirt. And to complete the look, we always recommend going the full mile with colourful accessories like neon sunglasses, floral leis and wristbands!
Colour Powder ‘Tag’ Rugby
If you’re hosting a child’s birthday party this summer and want a sporty yet fun activity to keep the kids entertained, why not consider a game of tag rugby using colour powder instead of tags? Wondering how that works? Let us explain.
First things first, the key difference between rugby and tag rugby is that there’s no tackling involved in tag rugby, making it much more safer for children to play. Typically participants would wear a belt with velcro tags attached to them and the aim is to remove a tag from whoever is carrying the ball to ‘tackle’ them. Rather than using velcro tags however, we suggest making things a bit more colourful with colour powder!
To get things started, split your participants into two teams and assign each of them a colour, blue and red for example. Take some blue and red powder, pour some on a plate and have participants press their hand into their corresponding team’s colour to cover it in powder. Where they would usually pull a tag off the ball carrier to ‘tackle’ them, instead they’ll press their hand to their top to mark them as tagged! Once someone has two handprints on their top, they’re out.
Top tip, we recommend kitting all of the kids out in white t-shirts to make sure that the colour powder handprints show up and you can see who’s been ‘tackled’.
Colour Powder Olympics Sports Day
To truly get into the spirit of the Olympics, why not host a sports day in your local community, sports club or youth club? The day can be filled with a host of different sporting activities that you’d usually see at the Olympics, but with a colourful twist to them.
Activities such as relay races, shot put, archery and javelin are ideal for incorporating colour powder into to make them more vibrant and visual. We’ve previously listed a variety of Olympic themed colour activities and how to host them so make sure to check that out to get started with your event.
We even offer shades of colour powder in all of the colours of the Olympic rings, including black, to truly help bring your event to life.
When organising a colour powder event, no matter the occasion or the activity, you want to ensure that you’re using non-toxic colour powder. At Ministry of Colours, we’re proud to offer colour throwing powder that is safe and suitable for a range of ages to enjoy.
Our powder is easy to clean and whilst we recommend hosting any colour events outdoors, you don’t need to worry about your environment and making a mess as the powder will wash away with a bit of water and rain.
Get started on preparing your colour powder sports day by placing your order today. If you’re unsure on how much powder you’ll need for your event, make sure to use our handy colour powder calculator. Based on the number of participants, it’ll tell you exactly how much powder you’ll need and let you select the colours you want. Alternatively, drop us a message with any questions you have and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible to help make your event a success!
The Top 5 Best Festival Accessories
The summertime means only one thing for many people: the festival season.
It's arguably the best time of the year to get together with friends, hit the road, and take a long weekend out to have the time of your life at a festival. But to ensure the best experience, what should you take with you other than the essentials? Fear not, Ministry of Colours are here to help! If you're looking to supercharge your festival experience with our array of the best festival accessories, then this blog is for you.
Whether you’re heading to a music festival like Glastonbury, or an arts festival like Edinburgh Arts Festival, there's nothing quite like soaking up the sun with some of your closest friends and family. However, a massive part of pre-festival planning involves making a statement with your outfit and accompanying accessories. With that in mind, we've selected some of our most popular festival accessory essentials that you won't want to leave the house without!
Our Top 5 Fun Festival Accessories
1. Sunglasses
Striking the perfect balance between style and practicality, our colourful UV400 sunglasses are here to brighten up your festival, all while keeping your eyes protected from the sun. Sunglasses are essential protection at any event, but at a festival you are best leaving your Oakley or Ray-Ban at home. Opt for a pack of value sunglasses that you don’t mind losing in the big crowds! Pick some up for your friends too so you can all join in on the fun.
2. Glow Sticks
It's time to head home and get some sleep when the sun goes down at a festival, right? Wrong! The party is only just getting started as the night descends, so you’ll be needing some fun festival accessories to bring some light to the occasion. Wear our glow sticks around your neck to make a statement and continue the party long into the night. The perfect product to get your rave on!
3. Poncho
Good weather is never guaranteed at festivals, or the UK in general! Sometimes, out of the blue (quite literally), a downpour comes along that can really dampen your festival spirit. Wearing a bulky raincoat throughout the festival is never a good idea, as you'll only be left awkwardly holding it when the weather brightens up again. Don't let a little rain ruin your festival experience. With our compact, lightweight and waterproof poncho, you can pull this must have festival accessory out to keep yourself dry while others run for shelter! Our waterproof phone pouches are also a great investment to keep your mobile devices protected whilst capturing the festival in all its glory, no matter the weather.
4. T-Shirts
Festivals can transcend into some of the muddiest places on earth. You don't want to be taking your designer tops to get ruined, should the weather turn. For a rainy festival outfit idea, invest in some of our plain, budget friendly T-Shirts that can be disposed of without breaking the bank!
5. Colour Powder
Add a splash of colour to your festival with bags of safe and vibrant colour powder! There is no other festival accessory that promotes joy and togetherness quite like our colour powder does. Cover your friends and loved ones in an array of colours to really stand out in the sea of festivalgoers.
Get Festival Ready Now!
Lifelong memories are made at festivals, so ensure you're well-equipped! After purchasing our list of accessories for festivals, you should be all set for making the most out of any event. Simply head over to the Ministry of Colours store, where you can pick up all of the festival supplies listed in this blog, and more! Get your fill of products, then rock up to your next festival or rave in style.
What Is A Colour Powder War?
Finally the weather is starting to pick up and the return of outdoor events is almost here. Do you know what that means? Colour events are back! From colour runs, to festivals, to at home colour parties, it’s time to start preparing for an explosion of colourful activities.
If you’re looking to organise your own colour event this summer, then look no further than a colour powder war. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what a colour powder war is, how to organise one and ideas to make yours a success.
What is a colour powder war?
A colour powder war sees two teams up against each other, battling it out in a frenzy of colour. Participants throw different coloured colour powder at each other, with the winning team being the one that covers the opposing team in the most powder.
A colour powder war is a great activity for kids birthday parties, end of year school celebrations and group events. It’s a chance for everyone to get together, let loose and create a bit of a mess while having fun.
How do I organise a colour powder war?
First things first, you want to find a large, outdoor area to host your game. It’s going to get a bit messy with colours flying everywhere, so outdoor spaces are best advised for a colour war.
Next, decide how you want to organise your colour war. Do you want to turn it into more of a game? Are there any rules involved? Once you’ve decided this, you’ll want to choose your guests and split them into two teams. Each team then needs to be assigned a colour, such as red vs blue. This will be the colour of the powder they’ll use for the event.
Last, but not least, you’ll need to determine how much colour throwing powder you need depending on the amount of guests you have. You definitely don’t want to be running out in the middle of a colour war! The good news is we have a handy colour powder guide that will help to work this out for you.
What do I need for a colour powder war?
To organise a successful colour war event, there are some essential things you’re going to need. Most importantly – colour powder. It wouldn’t quite be a colour war without it!
You’ll also want to decide what’s the best way for participants to throw the powder at each other and how you’re going to supply it to them. You could portion the powder out into plastic cups for them to throw from, or hand them individual colour powder packets. Or to take the colour war to the next level, create colour powder bombs by making your own DIY hacky sacks using old socks. This way your powder will last longer and the colour bombs can be reused throughout the battle.
Next up, white t-shirts are vital for any colour powder event, especially a colour war. A plain white t-shirt helps you dress for the mess as they’re ideal for showing off the colour powder that’s being thrown around. This also makes it easier to determine which team is the winner and who has managed to cover the opposing teams in their colour the most! Most colour powders can stain clothing, so it’s always best to dress in something you don’t mind becoming a bit more colourful than it was before.
And of course, every colour event needs colourful accessories. Kit your participants out in accessories that match their team colour, such as neon sunglasses, colourful leis or sun visors.
Colour powder war ideas
You can’t go wrong with a straight up colour war. It’s a simple game that allows participants to have fun, run around and just throw colour powder at each other. It won’t take long before it becomes a competitive battle and teams are doing everything to ensure victory! You can always take your colour war to the next level by introducing obstacles for players to hide and dodge behind.
If you have an event space large enough, then capture the flag is a fun and exciting game for everyone to get involved in. Create separate territories for teams to hide their flag in and supply them with colour bombs or packets of powder to mark members of the opposing team. If someone is hit with powder in the opposing team’s territory, then they’re out.
Here at Ministry of Colours, our colour powder is perfect for any and all colour events, including colour powder wars. We specialise in supplying non-toxic colour powder that is made using safe and natural ingredients. This makes it ideal for school environments and kids birthday parties.
We supply our powder in 100g, 1kg and 5kg bags, meaning we’ve got you covered no matter the scale of your event. If you require a helping hand planning your event or have any queries regarding our colour powder, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch! A member of our team will be more than happy to help you make your event the best it can be.
If you throw a colour powder war over the summer, then we’d love to see your images and how you’ve organised your event! Tag us any photos or videos over on our social media or email them to us at hello@ministryofcolours.co.uk.
4 Rangoli Art Ideas To Get Started
Rangoli art, with its vibrant colours and unique designs, has been an important part of Indian culture for centuries. Materials such as marble dust, coloured rice or rocks are used to create intricate and colourful Rangoli designs on the floor, typically during festivals and celebrations such as Diwali.
Since the launch of our new Rangoli art kits, we’ve been enjoying practising our own Rangoli patterns and getting to grips with producing colourful designs. If you’ve never given Rangoli art a go before, then you’re missing out! Not only does it look amazing, but creating Rangoli art can be a very relaxing activity and allows you to practise mindfulness to calm your mind.
Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry as we’ve put together this guide of 4 common Rangoli designs to get you started. Grab yourself a Rangoli kit and let's start creating!
Flower Rangoli
Flowers are a common symbol in Rangoli art and feature in a lot of patterns due to their elegance and beauty. There are so many ways to bring flowers into your Rangoli art, whether you opt for a singular, large flower as your design or create an entire garden of gorgeous flowers with different sizes and shapes. Either way, this is an opportunity to let your imagination blossom!
Peacock Rangoli
Peacocks are very majestic animals, known for their stunning plumage of colourful feathers. This makes peacocks a popular choice for Rangoli art as their vibrant colours and intricate patterns are ideal for incorporating into designs.
Peacock Rangoli designs can be made by drawing a large circular outline as the base of your design. Make sure to add a neck and head to your design to bring your peacock to life. Then, use shades of blue, green and purple (or whatever colours take your fancy!) to outline the circle with patterns that resemble feathers. Follow this easy peacock Rangoli tutorial to create your own stand out design.
Mandala Rangoli
A mandala is a geometric design that is symbolic within the Hindu culture. In Sanskrit, the classical language of India, mandala translates to circle, the common shape of these designs. They are then filled with intricate and detailed patterns that join together with a single, central point. Mandalas serve a specific purpose and are used to enlighten the mind and assist with healing during meditation.
Creating your own mandala Rangoli pattern can be very soothing and a therapeutic experience, whilst also allowing you to get creative and colourful with your design. Begin by drawing a central circle, then gradually expand outwards with geometric patterns and symmetrical shapes. If you’re in need of some mandala inspiration, download our Rangoli design templates to get started!
Lotus Pond Rangoli
The lotus flower and lotus ponds symbolise serenity and tranquillity and therefore often appear in Rangoli patterns. These patterns are created to provide a sense of peace and harmony and are commonly used in meditation or spiritual spaces.
To create your own lotus pond Rangoli, start by sketching a large lotus flower in the centre of your design and then surround this with floating leaves. Using bright colours of pink and green, bring this scene to life and outline the design in white to really make it pop.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an artist or a beginner, Rangoli art is something that everyone can get involved in to release their creative flair whilst also winding down and completing a relaxing activity.
Our Rangoli art kits are a great way to get started with this activity and are perfect for beginners. Our kits are made from authentic marble dust and are available in 7 bright colours that come in easy to use squeezy bottles, giving you complete control over your design. And don’t worry about running out of colours as we also have Rangoli refill packs to ensure that you can keep creating your wonderful designs. You can even take your Rangoli art to the next level with our Rangoli Ylang Ylang scented marble dust!
If you require any extra information about our range of Rangoli products then please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re more than happy to help!
What Is A Colour Run?
Taking inspiration from the ancient Hindu festival of Holi, a colour run is a fun run with a difference. Colour powder is thrown at passing runners from colour stations that are dotted along a course. Focusing more on creating memories than the time you get around the track, this makes a colour run a perfect family event!
But how does a colour run work, I hear you ask! Let me guide you through it all...
When to hold a colour run
One of the biggest risks with planning a colour run is the weather. The perfect colour run weather is a warm, dry and still day. Think spring time or early summer. Running in the middle of the day in the height of summer can cause overheating, so take this into consideration.
If possible, plan the course on a field or grassy area. You can run on tarmac, however most people find running on grass more comfortable. If you don't have your own space to use, speak with your council authority about using a park, or ask local businesses that have outdoor space available if they would be happy to let you use it.
Volunteers
Get recruiting early, colour runs are an hands-on-deck event! You'll need volunteers at colour stations, refreshment and activity stalls and of course marshalling the event. If you're finding it difficult to get confirmed volunteers, reach out to local businesses. Not only does it look good for their Corporate Social Responsibility, but it's a really fun team activity!
What to wear?
White is the colour of choice for a colour run. Our white t-shirts are the perfect canvas for the vibrant colour powders to stand out. We also offer a bespoke printing service, get in touch for a quote.
Eye protection is a must, as with anything, if our colour powder goes in your eyes it can cause irritation. We have a range of vibrant and affordable sunglasses available here.
Our motto is dress for mess as the colour powders can cause staining, so don't wear your fancy white trainers! We recommend comfortable and sturdy trainers, that you don't mind getting mucky. Colour powder on tarmac can be slippy, so be sure to take care! It's worth having a waiver available for runners/children who are taking part - we have an waiver template available, please get in touch for this.
What is colour powder?
Contrary to popular belief, the powders that are thrown at colour runs aren't paint. Our powders are made from corn starch and food grade dyes. They're designed to be kind to skin, so we don't add any preservatives or bulking agents. You can find out more about our colour powders by reading through our material and safety data sheet.
Charity colour run
As seen in the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice case study, a colour run can be an incredibly profitable event. Increase profit by having refreshment stalls available, sell accessories and 100g bags of colour powder to spectators, and have the usual 'whack-a-mole', buy a bottle and teddy tombola stalls available. These are great ways to raise more money.
Photo opportunities
The best way to capture the vibrancy of the day is to organise a 'colour cloud' at the end of the run. Simply throw handfulls of colour powder, or opened 100g bags, into the air to create a wonderful rainbow cloud of colours! This will give you wonderful images to share after the event, and can also be used for promotion for next years event!
Hopefully you've now got a better understanding of what a colour run is and how it all works. If you still have any questions, get in touch with our friendly team of colour experts who will be more than happy to help!
Olympic Themed Colour Run Activities
Add the element of colour to your 2024 Olympic Games themed sports day!
The Olympics 2024 will be taking place in Paris between Friday 26th July and Sunday 11th August. There’s plenty of ways to tie the leading international sporting event into colour themed sports days and fundraising ideas, so let’s make like Tom Daley and dive in!
First things first, hacky sacks!
We know children love colour powder, so to ensure the fun lasts even longer and they don’t throw it all at once, by filling odd socks with colour powder, you can have hours of fun! A hacky sack is a great way to play a number of Olympic Sports, in the school playground. Send out a request to parents, for donations of odd socks (we know every household has them!), and get filling them up. You can even get students involved in making up the hacky sacks, beforehand!
Archery
Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting arming young children with bows and arrows in the playground! This is our child-friendly take. Using chalk, create targets on the playground floor for children to throw hacky sacks into. When the hacky sack hits the ground a burst of colour powder will be released and mark the spot it hit. The team member who gets closest to the bullseye wins a point!
Track
There’s plenty of ways to make running more fun for kids, Sport Aberdeen have an amazing selection of ideas that are suitable for children of all ages. Our favourite way to add an element of excitement to running is to incorporate colour powder!
- Colour Run – Using a paper cup, scoop out colour powder from our 5kg bags of colour powder and throw this at the running children, covering them in vibrant colours. From April we will have our black colour powder available to purchase, so you can use the 5 colours of the Olympic Rings to keep on brand!
- Relays – Switch the baton for a hacky sack or 100g bag of colour powder. At the end of the race, the winners get covered in the other teams colours.
- Long jump – Add a sprinkling of colour powder to the sand pit so when landing there is a cloud of colour! Have volunteers add more colour powder when needed.
- Colour Run Obstacle Course – Like above, but add in hurdles, hoops to jump through, a slip and slide area or even inflatables! The kids will love it.
Throwing
- Shot put – Participants should stand inside a chalk circle and hold a hacky sack against their shoulder. The technique for throwing shot put is an art form in itself, as you can see in the video of the Müller British Athletic Championships!
- Discus – A similar technique to shot put, so make sure to warm up before this event. Rather than using a hacky sack try using an individual 100g bag of colour powder!
Colour-and-spoon race
Forget the egg, we’re all about the colour powder here! Not your typical Olympic sport, but you really can’t beat this style of event for sports day! Scoop a spoonful of colour powder for each child and set them on their way. You could add an extra element to this event by introducing obstacles.
When it comes to hosting your own Olympic Sports Day in the playground, focus on inclusivity and participation for all students. By creating a welcoming and friendly environment, you can foster not only physical skills but also social-emotional growth and a sense of belonging among your students. Let’s come together and celebrate the power of sport, friendship, and inclusivity in your very own Olympic Games.
How To Celebrate Holi Festival
The countdown to Holi Festival is getting closer and closer and we could not be more excited! We’ve been busy gearing up for Holi over at Ministry of Colours, making sure festivals and parties are stocked up with traditional colour powder and accessories for their events.
Holi is our favourite time of year as it's a time for joy, coming together and celebrating with colourful cheer. As we prepare for this vibrant celebration, it's important to remember some of the key tips for making the most of this festive occasion and celebrating the festival in the best way possible.
Gather with friends and family
First (and most importantly) gather your friends and family to join in the festivities, it’s no fun celebrating on your own! Holi Festival is all about having fun and promoting unity and is therefore best enjoyed surrounded by the company of loved ones. During this time people are encouraged to put their differences aside and the celebration is meant to bring communities together and often ends with friends and family visiting each other's homes in the evening.
Make a bonfire
On the eve of Holi, it's tradition to make a bonfire and place a small statue of Holika in the firewood. This is done due to the legend of the demon king Hiranyakashipu and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. This evening is also a time for friends and family to gather together and dance and celebrate around the bonfire.
Use colour powder
Holi is also known as the Festival of Colours as it’s tradition for people to shower each other with bright colour powder, also known as gulal, or mix the powder with water to paint on each other's faces. A rainbow of colours is typically used and each colour represents a different emotion or meaning:
Red - Colour of Love and Passion
Yellow - Colour of Happiness and Peace
Blue - Colour of Calm and Otherworldliness
Green - Colour of Nature and New Beginnings
Pink - Colour of Youth, Good Health and Playfulness
Orange - Colour of Courage and Sacrifice
Purple - Colour of Supreme Peace and Wisdom
The colours are non-toxic and shouldn't stain when used correctly, however it's best to wear clothing that you won't mind getting ruined and covered in colours. The best way to partake in this event however is by dressing in a white t-shirt or white clothing to show off all the colours you’ve attracted throughout the day. Don’t forget your colour accessories too!
Enjoy traditional Holi food and drink
Don’t forget to indulge in delicious festival treats! There are lots of traditional Indian meals, sweets and drinks that can be enjoyed during Holi. One staple of the festival is Thandai, a refreshing creamy milk drink that is prepared with a mixture of spices, nuts and sugar. Or perhaps try a traditional sweet like gujiya, a sweet fried dumpling filled with milk solids and nuts.
We particularly like the sound of dahi vada, a savoury snack made from lentils that are dunked in creamy yoghurt and topped with spices and chutney. Sounds delicious!
Ultimately, Holi is a celebration of new beginnings and a chance to have fun with friends and family. As March 25th draws closer, it’s time to start preparing for the festival by stocking up on colour powder (make sure you have enough of every colour!) and accessories to make your day as bright and fun-filled as possible.
We’ll be down at Leeds Holi Festival on both 23rd and 24th March selling our traditional Holi powder, so make sure you grab a ticket, come down to see us and join in the celebrations! The 23rd is for all those who want to really get into the party spirit, whilst the 24th is a family-friendly Holi celebration which is sure to keep the kids entertained all day!
Or if you’re hosting your own Holi event or party, use our handy colour powder calculator to work out how much you’ll need based on the number of people attending. You can also always drop us an email at hello@ministryofcolours.com or call us on 0330 321 3996 and we’d be happy to help you get prepared for all your Holi Festival needs!
The History of Holi
Holi is one of the biggest and most vibrant festivals celebrated in India and across the world. Every spring, the Hindu festival brings people across the world together to celebrate the arrival of the new season.
But where did this festival originate, we hear you ask, and how did it become such an important part of Indian culture? Let’s delve into the history of Holi together and explore the origins and traditions of this beloved festival and how it has developed over time to become popular with millions around the world.
What are the origins of Holi?
Holi is one of the most ancient festivals in India and was originally known as “Holika”. It is also said that Holi was originally a ceremony for married women to spread goodwill and prosperity to their new family; however since then, it has evolved to mean much more.
One of the main focuses of the Holi Festival now is the celebration of the victory of good over evil. The most popular story that is rooted in this theme is the story of Hiranyakashipu, the demon king. Hiranyakashipu wanted everyone in the kingdom to worship only him; however his son, Prahlad, was devoted to worshipping the Hindu god Vishnu.
This led to Hiranyakashipu commanding his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to carry Prahlad into a blazing fire. Holika however burned to ashes and Prahlad emerged from the flames unscathed, saved by Vishnu for his devotion to the god. Hiranyakashipu too was eventually killed by Vishnu, displaying the triumph of good over evil.
The legend of Krishna and Radha is also linked to the origins of Holi Festival. Krishna fell in love with the goddess Radha, but feared that she wouldn’t love him due to his blue skin. Radha however allowed Krishna to dye her skin with colour and they became a true couple.
How do people celebrate Holi?
Known as a fun and vibrant festival, Holi is celebrated with plenty of singing, dancing, food and parties. In honour of the legend of Krishna and Radha, people celebrate Holi by applying colour to each other’s skin. For this, natural and non-toxic colour powder is used. Colour powder is also used throughout the festival to be thrown in the air to create bright clouds of colour and cover all of the participants.
On the eve of Holi each year, huge bonfires are lit for people to sing and dance around to commemorate the legend of Holika. The next day is all about celebrating life and letting loose, which includes the throwing of colour powder.
When is Holi 2024?
Each year, Holi is celebrated in India on the day after the full moon in March. The celebration typically lasts two days, the first featuring bonfires lit for Holika and the second day consisting of the Festival of Colours. In 2024, this year Holi will fall on Monday 25th March.
This date isn’t far away meaning there’s not long to go now until Holi Festival rolls around! If you’re attending a Holi event or throwing one yourself and are looking for bright, high quality and traditional Holi powder, then look no further than Ministry of Colours! And of course, don’t forget your colour powder accessories to take your event to the next level.
We’re very excited for Holi here at Ministry of Colours, especially because we’ll be getting involved in the festivities ourselves as we are the very proud sponsors of Leeds Holi Festival 2024! We’ll be there for the full weekend, providing party-goers with their much needed bags of colour powder and accessories. So make sure you buy a ticket and come visit us!
Our colour powder is sourced directly from India and comes in a variety of colours and sizes to suit your event needs. Why not consider using a colour powder fountain to kickstart your event and cover your guests in a bright cloud of powder?
If you’re unsure how much powder you’ll need for your event, then our handy calculator has you sorted. If you still need some extra guidance however then please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’d be more than happy to help you with everything you need to host the perfect event. Drop us an email at hello@ministryofcolours.com or call us on 0330 321 3996, we look forward to hearing from you!
Here's to 2024!
Well, what a year it has been. Lots of highs, as well as a few lows, but as we look back, it has been a great year overall with many more of our lovely customers having great fun and raising lots of money with our products.
We hope you all enjoyed yourselves and that your events and celebrations went well and we look forward to helping you again in 2024. Take a look at our Socials to see what everyone has been up to and maybe get some extra inspiration for your own events.
Some of you may have noticed that we have moved again! This time, we are back with our own warehouse so we’ll have much better control over all of our processes and be even better placed to deliver our trade mark friendly and efficient customer service.
That’s not the only big change though. We are very excited to announce that, in 2024, we’ll be introducing even better and brighter colours. We know that it’s all about the colour for us, and you, so we decided to see if we can up our game even more. In the end, there was only one option. Unsurprisingly, that was to go back to sourcing our powder from India which is, after all, the origin of colour throwing powder or Gulal as it’s known in India, and the world-famous Holi festival.
Look out for more information in 2024, we are sure you’ll be impressed with what we have come up with.
We know that we need to be mindful of our carbon footprint, but when we looked into it, a lot of the raw materials need to be imported to the UK anyway. Given the volumes involved, we have to import in containers and these are by far the most efficient way with regards to CO2 emissions.
On that subject, we have been working with our shipping partner and we’ll also be offering you the option to pick up from convenient collection points. This avoids extra miles by the courier, especially if it avoids the need to rearrange deliveries.
Right now, we are preparing for our busiest time which is the run up to Holi. In 2024 it’s March 25th so the days will definitely be getting longer and hopefully warmer by then. We have noticed that more and more of our school customers have been running Holi-themed events. These are great hooks to introduce a wide range of cultural studies to explore how different traditions are celebrated around the world, and here in the UK with our wonderful diverse culture.
We are always amazed and impressed by the creativity of our customers so get your thinking caps on. And don’t forget to share your memories with us!
However you plan to raise money, or just celebrate next year, we wish you all a happy, healthy, (and colourful!) 2024.
The Ministry Of Colours Team
What is Rangoli? The Ultimate Guide
Rangoli is a form of art that originated in India, consisting of bright, colourful patterns that are made using a variety of materials such as rocks, coloured rice and marble dust. But what are the origins of this art form and how is it created?
We’ve put together the ultimate guide on everything you need to know about rangoli and how to create your own vibrant rangoli art.
What is rangoli?
Rangoli is the art of using bright coloured sand or other materials to create intricate and kaleidoscopic designs. These designs typically serve as symbols and have a religious purpose, created to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and good luck and to keep evil at bay.
Typically in a Hindu household, basic rangoli is practised every day however patterns are primarily made during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. These vibrant patterns can also be seen at weddings, religious celebrations and other Hindu festivals such as Pongal, Tihar and Onam.
Creating rangoli art can be a very enjoyable and relaxing activity for everyone however, as it helps to calm the mind and allows you to practice mindfulness.
What is diwali?
Diwali is the biggest holiday of the year in India with celebrations typically lasting 5 or 6 days. It is on the second day of the festival that people will decorate their homes with clay lamps and create stunning rangoli patterns on the floor in front of their entrance. The main day of the festival (the third day) is when families gather together to make a prayer to the Goddess Lakshmi, followed by a feast and fireworks.
How to make rangoli patterns
Traditional rangoli patterns are made on the floor, often outside the front door, or on a board that can be carried to the desired spot. Patterns should be made on a flat surface (ideally one that’s white to help your design stand out even more!) and with a material of your choice.
Patterns are often designed to be symmetrical, using a combination of straight and curved lines and incorporating imagery of flowers and items from nature.
To begin creating your design, draw an outline of your desired pattern so you know exactly what to fill in and where to place your powder. The next step is simple, grab your colours and start to bring your design to life!
Traditional rangoli art is made using your finger and thumb to spread the powder across the pattern’s outline. To produce easy rangoli designs, we recommend filling up small, easy squeeze applicator bottles with rangoli sand. Doing so will allow you to pour and control the powder more easily and create neater designs!
If you want to bring a bit of colour and mindfulness into your life, then creating rangoli art is the perfect solution. Our Rangoli range is available to purchase here.